News Broadcasting
CNN has its ‘Eye On China’ next month
MUMBAI: With China set to become the world’s largest economy by mid-century, and with its international influence on the rise, CNN dedicates extensive resources to Eye On China. This will be a week of live and special feature programming from Beijing. From 14 to 22 May 2005, Eye On China will give CNN audiences a comprehensive look inside one of the world’s fastest growing economies.
The coverage will focus on China’s swiftly evolving role in global politics and business, and the impact of the country’s rapid modernization on its people and culture. In a rare, live broadcast from Beijing’s historic Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, CNN’s celebrated senior journalist Jim Clancy hosts a roundtable discussion about China’s role in the world. CNN Connects: China Rising will feature a panel of distinguished speakers and a live studio audience of 120 people, including some of the chiefs of global business, heads of state, and leading thinkers gathered in Beijing for the Fortune Global Forum.
CNN Intl senior VP Rena Golden says, “CNN deepens its commitment to examining China’s movements on the world stage, its impact on Asia and neighboring countries. A team of award-winning journalists will travel from the US and Hong Kong to join Beijing-based correspondents for the week of Eye On China coverage, which aims to give our viewers a greater understanding of the many complex issues facing modern China.”
CNN International will also be the only other TV news network, outside of Chinese national broadcaster CCTV, allowed to have cameras on location to broadcast, live, the President of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao’s opening keynote address at the Fortune Global Forum on 16 May at around 5 pm.
Throughout the week, CNN’s award-winning, prime-time morning news programme CNN Today will be hosted live from Beijing by Kristie Lu Stout and Hugh Riminton, who will interview some of the global opinion makers in Beijing for the Fortune Global Forum. Senior Asia Correspondent and long-time China expert Mike Chinoy and Beijing Correspondent Stan Grant will contribute in-depth reports addressing current developments in China’s social, economic and political arenas.
Other signature programmes will include a one-hour documentary, Navigating the New China, two special editions of Talk Asia, as well as CNN Business Traveller from Shanghai.
Navigating The New China airs on 14 May at 3:30 pm on 15 May at 4:30 pm, 17 May at 10:30 am, and 3:30 pm and on 21 May at 5:30 pm. CNN’s Beijing Correspondent Stan Grant travels hundreds of miles across the world’s most rapidly shifting country from the mountains of Guizhou Province to the hothouse urban environment of coastal Guangdong. Along the way, Stan meets fascinating characters of all ages and from all walks of life, and hears their views about how China is changing and their apprehensions about being left behind in the country’s headlong rush into the 21st century.
The chat show Talk Asia catches up with Chinses filmmaker Zhang Yimou on 14 May at 8:30 am, 8 pm, and on 15 May at 4 pm and 8:30 pm. Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Judou, House of Flying Daggers, Hero) talks to the show’s host Lorraine Hahn about a wide range of topics, ranging from his passion for movies, to the influence of his work on Hollywood and his future plans. Another episode of the show will feature Shanda Interactive Entertainment president Tang Jun. this airs on 21 May at 8:30 am with replays on 21 May at 8 pm, 22 May at 4 pm and at 8:30 pm.
Shanda Interactive Entertainment claims to be the leading operator of online games in China. Jun discusses his vision for the company, the challenges of starting and developing the business, Shanda’s future plans, and his career.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
